The Booted Man

Mola Headland Archaeology

In 2018 a skeleton was lying face down deep in the Thames Mud in Lond England. His body was at a bend in the river downstream from the Tower of London at Chambers Wharf close to the medieval Bermondsey Wall used to stand. 

The man lived and died in the late 1600s to early 1700s as his boots were dated for that time. The boots are a find their own as Medieval footwear is mostly found individually. The only other surviving pair found in London are lower ankle boots that were a more common style at the time. Making the boots a highly-prized item.

There was an indication that he may have been making his living from the river. Maybe he had been a fisherman, a mudlark, or a sailor it's unknown. His death is even unknown. The river was a hazardous place and it could have caused his death. His body was found face-down, with one arm above his head with the other bent back on itself onto the side. He may have fallen or drowned and was quickly covered by the ground when it moved with the tide.

SOURCES:

Ancient Pages

Museum of London

Phys.org

Atlas Obscura

The Taree Man

In November 2011 a skull was found at Manning Point, near Taree, in New South Wales, Australia. It was initially believed that it was the skull of a missing local teen. It was found that it was not true. It was found that 80% that the skull dated from 1650-1700 and 20% from 1780-1810. Even though it was initially believed that the skull belonged to a woman DNA found that they were a ma. It's believed that he was between 28 to 65-years-old white male.

It is believed that Captain James Cook was the first European to reach Australia in 1770. If the skull was from an earlier time period it could rewrite history.The remains could have been from anywhere as there were heavy rains meaning the skull could have been washed out of a private or unknown cemetary. 

Some theorize that since the skull was in good condition and found alone with no other remains that it may have been part of a private collection which was popular in the 19th century. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

The Daily Telegraph July 1, 2013

Strange Remains

Unknown Authors: The Queen of Hearts

From a 1901 edition of Mother Goose. Illustration by W.W. Denslow.

The poem The Queen of Hearts is an English poem and nursery rhyme based on the playing cards. It was anonymously published in The European Magazine vol. 1, no. 4 in April of 1782. It was published with three lesser-known stanzas "The King of Spades", "The King of Clubs", and "The King of Diamond" but some believe that the other stanzas were added later to what has been a much older poem. The poem is probably best known for its use in Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland. 

Poem:

The Queen of Hearts 

She made some tarts,

All on a summer's day;

The Knave of HeartsHe stole those tarts,

And took them clean away.

The King of Hearts

Called for the tarts,

And beat the knave full sore;

The Knave of Hearts

Brought back the tarts,

And vowed he'd steal no more.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Nursery Rhymes Wiki

Ghosts: Blue Lady of Verdala Palace

 

Photo by Philip Myrtorp

The last Grand Master of Malta was Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc (1725-1797).  According to the legend he had a niece (unnamed) and she would become the Blue Lady of Verdala Palace. 

The Blue Lady is sometimes referred to as Is-sinjura tal-Verdala. Before her death, she was arranged to marry a man she did not love. He may have been one of the knights. She kept refusing it, but she had no choice in the matter.

She would be imprisoned in her room in the palace being forced to accept an unwanted marriage. She had no way out, but the window. She would either slip to her death in her attempt to escape or willingly jumped to her death. It's unknown, but either way, she was not forced to marry the man.

She is seen in Verdala Palace wearing the same blue dress she died in. The one she was supposed to wear to her wedding. She'd be spotted walking the halls, in mirrors, or standing at the edge of balconies. 

Forever stuck in the place she tried to escape.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Moon Mausoleum

Guide Me Malta

Air Malta

The London Stone

The London Stone sits in Cannon Street in London, England behind a glass panel (formerly an iron gate). The purpose or reason for the preservations of a small block of limestone still a mystery. Originally the stone was a part of a larger object and was fixed in a street. For hundreds of years, the Stone was considered to be the heart of London. It had become a traditional place for people to pass laws, claim debts, declare oaths, and make official proclamations.  

The first mention of the London Stone was in 1188. It was referenced with Henry Fitz Ailwen also knowns as Henry Lundenstone referring to the area in which he lived. He had become Lord Mayor of London. It's possible the stone had been there up to 924-939, one website said it was actually first mentioned in documents. 

During Jack Cade's failed rebellion in 1450, Jack Cade was said to have struck the stone with his sword and declared he was "Lord of this City." In 1520 it was indicated on a map that the stone laid in the middle of the street. 

In 1742 the stone was moved further north on the street and then was built into the wall of St. Swithin''s Church. During the WWII Blitz, the church was badly damaged. The stone survived even though it home did not, in 1962 the Church was demolished. The stone was then moved to a wall in 111 Canon Street where it now lays. 

It could have been a something similar to a Roman Milestone. In which it was used to pinpoint a place to which all distances in Brittian or at least London were measured. This theory was done by William Camden's Brittanica in 1586.

The Stone may be the Stone of Brutus. The legend goes that it may have been part of an altar built by Brutus of Troy for the Goddess Diana. Some believe that the stone was blessed and had blessed London. "So long the Stone of Brutus is safe, so long London will flourish." 

It's possible that the stone was used in another religion as a form of worship. It could be possible the stone was used in ancient druid practices. This theory also came about in the 1500's by John Strow. In 1598 John Strow wrote The Survey of London in which he goes over his theory. 

Some believe that it may be the stone that King Arthur pulled the sword out of. It's highly unlikely though as a mystery lies with King Arthur. No one really knows if the king was real or not. 

In all honesty we may never find out why the London stone has been so important for hundreds of years. Hopefully for the next few hundred the same care is done for the stone and it's mysterious ability to survive Londons most difficult times. 

OTHER IMAGES:

London Stone depicted in 1873 (1887 copy) book Volume 1: Old and New London. It was illustrated by Walter Thornbury. 

Church of St Swithin, London Stone, in Cannon Street, London; engraving after Thomas H. Shepherd, 1831. The church is by Christopher Wren, 1678. A prominent stone casing in the middle of the church's south wall houses London Stone.

 London Stone and St Swithin's Church in Cannon Street, London, as depicted on the "Copperplate" map of London of c.1553-59

SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Stone

http://mentalfloss.com/article/69113/6-myths-london-stone

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/london-stone-0010746

http://bitaboutbritain.com/the-london-stone/

http://www.walklondon.com/london-attractions/london-stone.htm

https://lostcityoflondon.co.uk/tag/london-stone/

Thomas Busby's Chair of Death

Picture of Thomas Busby's chair thanks to unsolved mysteries.

The favorite chair of Thomas Busby has a eerie and terrifying past. For over 300 years this chair has been sight for many, but misfortune for those who actually sit in it. It has even developed the name the chair of death. And it all started in 1702 with a man named Thomas Busby.

Thomas Busby was a man who would take any chance to drink. It was well known in the community about Busby's favorite pass time. This barfly was not a rare sight in his favorite pub. The only thing that would be rare was if  he wasn't sitting in his favorite chair. Busby was not a man to be messed with as he was a thief with a bad temper. If someone said anything he didn't like a fight would ensue.

Busby's father-in-law was Daniel Awety a successful coin forger. The two were partners in petty crime.  Daniel Awety decided after earning a lot of money through his "business" to splurge out and buy a farm near Kirby Wiske. He had renamed it Danotty Hall after himself of course.

One summer day in 1702 Awety and Busby had a meeting that ended in a heated argument. Busby went back and found his father-in-law sitting in his favorite seat. Busby demanded Awety to get out of his chair and a fight broke out.

In response Awety told Busby he was going to take his daughter back to Danotty Hall with him. Later that night Busby went to Danotty Hall and killed Awety with a hammer and placed him body in the woods.

Awety's remains were soon found and the authorities found Busby in his favorite chair. Busby went to trial and was found guilty his punishment was hanging and Busby was granted one last request. He was able to take one last drink in his chair.

"Death will come swiftly to whomsoever sits in my chair." Was Busby's last words before he hung. Surprisingly enough his words rung true.

A chimney sweep sat in Busby's chair and he was unfortunately fell off a roof and had died. This was the first time the chair had been used in decades and this unnamed chimney sweep was the first noted victim. He was not the only one. People were always dared to sit in the chair, but most refused. Some lost their lives doing so.

Some of the most noticeable was when in WWII the place became a hot spot for Members of the Air Force. Few were not afraid to sit in the chair and it was noticeable that those few did not make it home. In 1967 a couple of RAF  sat in the chair and later that night hit a tree head on in their car and died. A lot of  daredevils from all around wanted to see the chair. The landlord his it in the basement in hope no one would get hurt.

That didn't help because a roofer sat on the chair to rest and his death soon came after. A cleaning lady who stumbled over the chair had died and even more had died. In the 1970's the chair was donated to the Thrisk Museum where it now resides six feet off the ground so that no one will ever die from it again.

SOURCES:
https://www.historicmysteries.com/thomas-busby/
http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Chair_of_Death
http://www.thirskmuseum.org/displays.html
http://www.profilingtheunexplained.com/mysterious_happenings/haunted_busby_chair.html
http://realunexplainedmysteries.com/the-thomas-busby-chair
http://www.unexplainable.net/ghost-paranormal/the-cursed-chair.php